If you need to catch-up on the details, see the full story on Search Engine Land.

When asked about the number of people logged in while searching Matt gave this answer: "@optimizeyourweb Danny included my informal estimate with signed-in + only on Google .com, it would be single-digit % cc @andrew_goodman"

I don't think we'll know the full impact until it all takes effect and we have enough data to see how much information we're now missing.

But to sum up my first thoughts/feelings after reading the announcement:

IT SUCKS!

This was a follow-up on this comment on Twitter: "@optimizeyourweb I think @mattcutts unofficially put it at single digit % for now. Still, feels like chipping away at actionable mkting data" - Answer by Andrew Goodman after a question out out on Twitter "@andrew_goodman @avinash do you have figures on how many are logged in when searching versus not?"

So you get the referring data in paid and not search, double standard much?So now they are going to withhold data, your data, when using their "free" tool. I am sure the paid version will give you access.Sure the affected traffic is small now, but doesn't this tells us a lot where Google is headed with GA?

It is amazing to me how many different things that people consider private, and would like to have the settings set to private by default, that Google, Facebook and the others do not have enabled upon account creation.  And then there is this.  Something that it would clearly be in marketers best interest to have, not as default, but an additional option that gets checked or unchecked later.  Where is the consistency here?

FWIW - Overall I like it, but can see the down side to search marketing:(

Google has done plenty of things I haven't agreed with but at least I understood their reasoning for doing so.  This one makes no sense whatsoever.

If the paid version has access then the others like Omniture and Webtrends will also and then it is likelly that Yahoo! Web Analytics. But as YWA is free this strategy collapses and GA free version will need to be able to show data. So all or none, sorry.

It is a double standard but who would pay for clicks when you don't know if it is worthwhile to you? It is a disappointment. The fact that they are saying it will only be single digit changes is not going to be true, I would imagine. They said 3% for the latest change in GA referrers and that ended up being more like 20%.

Matt Cutts said it would be single because more half of their users are outside of the US:

https://twitter.com/#!/mattcutts/status/126381582251601920

Well, for US businesses, that narrows the field dramatically, right? It's not the end of the world but it is disappointing.

The hypocrisy is the most annoying thing. Advertisers will still get keyword data from ad clicks because they need to be able to "measure the effectiveness of their campaigns and to improve the ads and offers they present to you." But non-advertisers don't need to be able to measure the effectiveness of their websites and their SEO and improve the content they present to searchers? What a joke.

Double standard?  They're a business.  of course they'll make rules and changes they see fit, regardless of the double standard.  Infuriating to people who rely on it?  Obviously.  The end of SEO?  some people are making it such a major deal on how it ruins their capabilities, you'd think so.

Except some of us haven't been using the data for years, and some haven't ever done so.  We've found other ways to get results.  This isn't a matter of me bragging.  Because I'm not.  There are plenty of things that have caused me to have to shift my focus over the years.

What I'm saying though is this - rant if it makes you feel better.  But then take a breather, and rethink your methods of achieving goals.  Hugo is spot on - evolve and adapt.

The sooner people start accepting that concept, the less head exploding all around.

With less than 10% of searchers signed-in to Google, I don't see this as a really big deal for SEO.  We can extrapolate the resutls. Like we're not used to Google making changes to make us change the way we do business?

Let's be clear, this will affect paid search as well. Paid search marketers will still be able to gather data related to the keyword that they bid on, but I believe this will have a similar effect on reporting the user's raw search query.

Sean, I don't believe that's what Google said.

Anayltics will be how Keyword Research was (or still is). So now instead of exact data, when you look at the keyword referrers coming into your site, it will only be a sample of the total amount. I guess we will still be able to see what Keywords are performing well but as far as tracking specifc data - UGH

I think there may be a workaround to still get that keyword data. I can hardly wait to test it when Google rolls this out. It would be the ultimate booyah to Google if it works.

Writting a $150,000.00 check for Google Analytics Premium seems dumb now... unless Google is giving these companies the data on the DL.

In my opinion, by introducing Google Plus, Google's main goal was to keep more people signed when search. Already in October 2010, Schmidt admitted that they want people to be more logged into Google. (http://techcrunch.com/2010/10/14/schmidt-social-google/)

Therefore, the fact that they introduced encrypted search as default for logged in users, worries me. It might be a small amount of people who search when logged in, but I am sure that the number have already started growing since Google Plus introduction.

And I bit of history: Since Facebook launch more and more people started browsing online whilst still logged into it. Facebook noticed that phenomenon straight away and wisely use it. What is more, by introducing 'Like' button and many external plugins for developers, Facebook actually gave its users the reasons not to log out. Now, they know more about us/ its users than any other online player (including Google) and they can offer the most targeted ad campaigns. Google just had to react!!

what @MagsSikora said :) I think this has more to do with a longer term G+ play than anything else.

Thank you, Michelle. I actually wrote an article about this a few weeks ago (I hope, it's ok to share it here: http://bit.ly/n1eoJw )

What if we turn this one around, and look at it from a consumer point of view, instead of us SEO's.

For optimal privacy - as stated by Google - you'd better be logged in to Google when searching. And this only helps if you click on the organic results, because if you click on de ads Google will still be able to track you as an individual. Wouldn't this 'privacy concern' stimulate consumers who care about their own privacy to avoid clicking on the ads? I wonder how Google would feel about this?